HONOLULU — A man from Hawaii, who endured three decades in prison for a crime he persistently claimed he did not commit, basked in his newfound freedom, labeling the day as “Freedom Friday.” His release was ordered by a judge after significant new DNA evidence emerged in his case, prompting him to express eagerness to reunite with his mother.
In the courtroom, there were audible gasps and emotional reactions when Judge Kirstin Hamman announced, “And the judgment and sentence is vacated and the defendant is ordered to be released from custody,” marking a decisive moment in the hearing. The Zoom broadcast of the session was abruptly cut off right after her ruling.
The new evidence, which includes DNA test results, potentially alters the outcome of a new trial for Gordon Cordeiro, who was originally convicted in a 1994 murder case involving the death of Timothy Blaisdell during a drug deal robbery in Maui. Cordeiro faced a hung jury during his first trial, where only one juror was in favor of his conviction. Despite this, he was later declared guilty of murder, robbery, and attempted murder, resulting in a life sentence without parole.
The Hawaii Innocence Project took on Cordeiro’s case and presented arguments during a recent hearing that highlighted new evidence establishing his innocence, deficiencies in his prior legal representation, and misconduct by prosecutors. Maui County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin expressed disappointment in the judge’s decision, asserting that none of the findings exonerated Cordeiro. His office plans to challenge the ruling and will seek to impose bail for Cordeiro’s release due to concerns over him being a flight risk stemming from the murder charge.
Kenneth Lawson, co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, described the release as a deeply emotional experience, stating, “He cried, we all cried,” as Cordeiro allowed himself to believe in the possibility of exoneration after years of trials that led to disillusionment with the legal system.
At 51 years old, Cordeiro greeted reporters outside the Maui Community Correctional Center, proudly proclaiming it was “Freedom Friday.” He expressed gratitude towards his supporters, the judge, and even the prosecutors, who presented facts acknowledging his innocence. “I’d like to go see my mom,” he said, expressing a longing for familial connection after years in confinement.
Adjusting to life outside prison, he remarked, “I got good support,” indicating a positive outlook on his reintegration into society. According to his legal team, parts of the wrongful conviction stemmed from reliance on incentivized statements from four jailhouse informants, whose motivations included assurances of lighter sentences and concocted murder-for-hire narratives.
Unfortunately, Cordeiro’s conviction was primarily rooted in this unreliable testimony, leading to a guilty determination during his second trial despite having credible alibis. His attorneys maintained that on the day of the murder, Cordeiro was engaged in activities at home with family, far removed from the Skid Row area in upcountry Maui, where Blaisdell was killed.
Blaisdell had visited this area to purchase marijuana with a substantial amount of cash, but he ended up dead, his body discovered at the bottom of a ravine. His associate, Michael Freitas, whose inconsistent statements placed blame on Cordeiro, later passed away in 2020.
Post-conviction, new DNA testing on evidence from the crime scene identified that Cordeiro could not be the source of DNA found on Blaisdell, leading to a DNA profile that pointed to an unidentified individual found on Blaisdell’s jeans.
The judge acknowledged that the newly unearthed DNA evidence and updated details about gunshot residue could potentially alter the outcome of a retrial. Cordeiro’s lawyers maintain that Freitas was likely complicit in the planning and execution of the robbery that led to Blaisdell’s death.
“The police mishandled this case right from the start, turning the primary suspect into the key witness for the prosecution, resulting in an agonizing 30-plus-year ordeal and a miscarriage of justice for both Gordon and his family,” Lawson concluded.
